Arthroscopy - a procedure using an instrument
that allows a surgeon to view the inside of a joint to
show any problems

Average Length of Stay (ALOS) - the average number of
days a patient stays at the facility (Calculated by diving the total
number of patient days divided by the number of discharges for a
given period)

Average Daily Census (ADC) - average number of people
served on an inpatient basis on a single day during the
reporting period (Calculated by dividing the total
number of inpatient days by the number of days in the
reporting period)

Beds - an adult bed, pediatric bed, birthing room
or newborn bed maintained in a patient care area for
lodging patients in acute, long-term or domiciliary
areas of the hospital

Beta blocker - medicine used to treat high blood
pressure and other heart conditions by reducing the
heart rate and the heart's output of blood

Blood culture - a test to determine if bacteria,
fungus or other microorganisms are present in the blood

Bone Imaging - a diagnostic procedure for
determining problems with your bones, such as arthritis,
infection, fractures, and tumors

Burn Intensive Care (BICU) - a special treatment
unit for burn patients needing more intensive care
then typical medical/surgical patients. It is staffed
with specially trained personnel and outfitted with
special equipment used to care for burn patients

Cardiac Rehab - (short for Cardiac
rehabilitation) is a comprehensive program
for patients with heart disease,
including exercise, education and behavior modification, used to improve their physical and emotional health

Cardiac Cath Lab - (short for Cardiac
Catheterization Laboratory) is a specialized service for
diagnosing and treating heart conditions

General Medical/Surgical Bed - (also called
General Med-Surg Beds) - are beds used for routine care

Hemodialysis - the use of a machine to clean
waste from the blood after the kidneys have failed

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) -
a type of medical insurance coverage that specifically states which doctors and medical institutions patients may use and which medical tests and procedures will be paid for

Hyperbaric oxygen - oxygen that is at an
atmospheric pressure higher than the pressure at sea
level

Inpatient procedure - a procedure that requires a
patient to be admitted to a hospital for treatment and
to stay at least one night

Inpatient surgery - surgery which requires the
patient to be admitted and stay in the hospital at least
one night

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) -
type of 3-dimensional radiation therapy using computer
images to show the size and shape of a tumor

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) - a separate, clearly
designated treatment area maintained within the facility
solely for the care and treatment of patients who are
critically ill

Irregular heartbeat - a disturbance in the
regular rhythm of the heartbeat

Ischemia - a condition where the flow of
oxygen-rich blood to a part of the body is restricted

Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD) -
abnormal activity of the left chamber of the heart often
occurring following a heart attack and increasing the
patients' risk for recurrent heart attacks, heart
failure or other fatal events

Extracorporeal Shock-wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) - treatment to break up kidney
stones so their fragments can be passed through the
urinary track

Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) - a machine
that uses a large, powerful magnet to create pictures of
the blood vessels

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - a non-invasive
procedure using a large, powerful magnet that produces a
two-dimensional view of an internal organ or structure

Mammography - a specific type of imaging that
uses a low-dose x-ray system for the examination of
breasts

Medicare Cost Reports - an annual report required
of all institutions participating in the Medicare
program, which records each institution's total costs
and charges associated with providing services, the
portion of those costs and charges allocated to Medicare
patients, and the Medicare payments received

Obstetrics - the branch of medicine that deals
with the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth and
the recovery period following delivery

Oncology services - the branch of medicine
dealing with tumors

Orthopedic services - The branch of surgery
dealing with the skeletal system

Organ transplant (Medicare certified) - a
surgical operation in which a failing or damaged organ
in the human body is removed and replaced with a
functioning one (including heart, intestines, kidney,
liver, lung and pancreas)

Outpatient procedure - a procedure that allows
the patient to go home the same day he or she was
treated

Oxygenation assessment - measuring the oxygen
level in the blood

Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) -
encompasses a variety of procedures used to treat
patients with diseased arteries of the heart.
(previously called Angioplasty, Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary [PTCA], or Balloon Angioplasty)

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) - a long-term care service
providing continuous skilled nursing care for patients
who have deteriorating condition requiring skilled care
or who show potential for improvement to a stabilized
condition

Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) - a section of a
hospital in which patients need surgery because of
sudden life threatening medical problem and are placed
under continuous monitoring with detailed care

Swing Beds - refers to a hospital's ability to
use its beds to provide either acute (regular hospital
care) or skilled nursing level care

Thrombolytic Medication - medication used during
a heart attack to dissolve clots that may block blood
flow in the coronary arteries

Ultrasound - a method of obtaining images from
inside the human body through the use of high-frequency
sound waves

Vascular Surgery - surgery or procedures related
to the blood vessels of the body

Vascular Intervention - nonsurgical procedures
used to treat arteries and veins outside the coronary
vascular system